The Year in Review: 10 worst ads of 2016

A man’s escape for a weekend away with his mates has been a staple for agencies over the years, perhaps best demonstrated in BMF’s work for XXXX Gold.

This year TAB decided it would be the perfect vehicle to promote its app allowing punters to stay in touch with the action wherever they are. So off one bloke set on a fishing trip with his mates, to be asked upon his return by his wife how it was.

The wagering and gaming companies have filled a creative void for the advertising industry and the arrival of the Melbourne Cup was the cue for plenty of content aimed at promoting a sea of apps in the market.

Among it was a standout effort from Sportsbet with some cup tips you may not have found with a traditional bookie. “Why study the form guide when you underwear can tell you the horse you should be backing”. the online campaign proudly declared. “Need a tip? Check your undies”. Not much more need be said.

Complete with dancing tuna cans that would not have looked out of place with Graham Kennedy on In Melbourne Tonight in the late 1950s, Cummins & Partners’ fishy ad was a triumph of style over substance.

Music is one of the most powerful tools to cement the name of a brand in the minds of its target audience – if it’s done right. But there is nothing worse than a brand murdering a classic in the name of marketing, and QBE Insurance has managed to it to one of the biggest hits of the 1990s.

Funeral marketing may be one of the toughest briefs ever to cross the desk of a creative. Finding the right balance between sensitivity and the sell cannot be easy. But is funeral direction a career choice pondered from a young age?

As a father and his son bob in the ocean, their stricken yacht nearby, the story unfolds of a man and his life. A father, a husband, a mate, and as it turns out, a sailor, but not a very good one.

As the Westpac chopper swings into view, the ad notes that he’s not even a customer of the bank, but there is the chopper to help him out anyway. A reassuring note for customers of NAB, ANZ and the CommBank.

It’s a piece of content so engaging in its execution that Premier Mike Baird, the man who tucked Sydney into bed early, might well be taking the creative credit.

Ultra Tune: Unexpected Situation

From rubber-clad women to cliched blonde bimbos, Ultra Tune is a brand that loves to live on the edge. The brand has crafted a tidy strategy in marketing to women with its models finding themselves in a variety of precarious situations.

Simon Canning was Mumbrella's marketing and advertising editor from 2015-2017. In a career spanning journalism and communications over more than 30 years Simon has become one of Australia’s most respected analysts and commentators on the advertising, marketing and media industries. A regular commentator on radio and TV, Simon has also worked in media in the US and UK .

My choice for the worst ad would be the “daggy” one that does not pass the sniff test, being “it’s a down down”. I dislike it so much that I try to avoid that supermarket in case I cop the singing of that stinking ad.

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